Curiosity Killed the Fox
by thirteenchrysanthemums
Summary: The one time Rukawa acts out of character and it leads to his demise.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! It's been ages since I've written for this pairing and I've promised a few of you that I will write for them again. This will be a little OOC and quite fast-paced as I'll be jumping from scene to scene.**

 **Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The score is _59 - 60_ with Shohoku in the lead and a few seconds to spare. Shohoku's players, dripping with exhaustion, move to defend for the last time that night at a pace that leaves too many opportunities for an attack. Rukawa is running, sprinting across the basketball court at an extraordinary speed in an effort to get back on defence. His efforts are proven futile when the number _seven_ on the back his rival's jersey greets his eyes, taunting him mercilessly as Sendoh gracefully leaps into the air, the powerful grip on the ball not once easing throughout the motions.

Before he knows it, Shohoku's ace finds himself between his rival and the basket, literally being Ryonan's sole obstacle to victory. Without hesitation, Rukawa roughly places one hand on the ball to counteract the opposing force; every muscle in him is geared towards preventing Sendoh's dunk. If he can block this shot, he protects Shohoku's minuscule lead and secures their victory. If he fails, however, there will be no time left for a buzzer beater to put themselves back in the lead. Either way, the weight of Shohoku's future rests on this single performance. As the ace of Shohoku, it is his duty to carry his team's burden and lift them up to victory. Always referred to as the player with so much promise and reputation, now is the time for him to deliver.

Then it happens.

Rukawa feels his grip slipping away as the sweat on his palm builds. A knowing smirk graces Sendoh's lips as he thrusts the ball into the hoop, overpowering Rukawa's rapidly-diminishing strength with his own and putting Ryonan in the lead by one minuscule point.

The whistle is blown and as Sendoh hangs on the hoop, Rukawa falls.

* * *

Rukawa's eyes shoot wide open. Groggily pulling himself into a sitting position, it takes the some time to realise that the basketball match was merely a dream, or a nightmare in this case. It then takes him more time to realise he's not alone.

The crisp sound of a page being turned jolts his senses; his nose twitches as it is tickled by the unfamiliar scent of jasmine carried by the wind and he finds himself unconsciously attempting to watch the intruder through his peripherals. This is the first time someone else has occupied the rooftop at lunchtime and - although he technically doesn't own this area - the ace can't help but feel that the stranger has trespassed into his territory, invading his privacy.

And Rukawa Kaede is a very private person.

Plastering a scowl on his handsome features, he turns to the intruder bent on intimidating them into leaving - only to inwardly reel from surprise. He would have to be blind to not recognise those chestnut tresses and cerulean irises, even if they weren't directed at him at this very moment. For there, with her nose buried deep inside a book and earphones drowning out the tunes of the rest of the world, sits Akagi Haruko in all her glory.

Although her features are striking enough to stay in one's memory, Rukawa wouldn't have been able to put a name to the face if not for her newly acquired position as the additional Team Manager in Shohoku's basketball team. Otherwise, he would have regarded her as one of those girls that frequents their training sessions daily without fail. Simply put, a die-hard fangirl.

Regardless of who or what she is her presence is undesired here, even if she isn't directly interacting with him. This is his sanctuary and his alone. Soon enough she'd be inviting her friends up here and then his peaceful afternoons will be ruined completely. Unfortunately, since he lacks the authority to tell her to get lost (to be fair, nobody is allowed up here anyway) Rukawa decides to make her so uncomfortable that she'd feel inclined to leave with no intentions of returning.

Yet, stare as long and intensely as he might, not once does Haruko look up from her book. Several minutes are filled with only the sound of pages turning. He tries grunting or even awkwardly clearing his throat to alert her of his presence in order to put his plans into action, but none of these actions manage to rouse her from her book-induced trance.

 _\- Riiiiiiinnnnnngggggg -_

He sighs and gets up to leave, hoping this is a one-time occurrence and that the only place he'll encounter her in the future would be on the basketball court.

* * *

"Where were you at lunch today Haruko-chan?" The conversation grabs Rukawa's attention on the very same day after basketball practice. It is not so much the shrill voice of the girl asking the question - his fanbase has inadvertently trained him to tune out most things spoken in such a high-pitched tone - but rather the question itself that captures Rukawa's focus. "We haven't hung out in a while."

He slowly packs his jersey into his sports bag whilst eavesdropping on their conversation as Haruko and the other girl linger at the younger Akagi's table beside the benches. "I was reading my new book." she replies, albeit hesitantly.

"Where though? We couldn't find you at all!"

A slight frown mars his features. Rukawa wholeheartedly expects their new team manager to divulge his whereabouts to her giddy friend and go into intricate detail about their uneventful encounter, as most highschool girls would. Not that he is particularly concerned about his behaviour. Haruko can behave any way she wants, as long as it doesn't affect him. But, by the looks of it, his secret place is bound to be infested with overly-hormonal fangirls by tomorrow. All because one girl can't keep a secret to herself.

But Akagi Haruko is not that girl, apparently. "Exactly, Matsui-chan." Her lips curved up into a mischievous grin, "If you're with me I can't focus on my book. So I can't tell you where I'm hiding!" She giggled nervously before changing the topic. Satisfied that his cover hasn't been blown Rukawa leaves the basketball court and pedals his way home, accepting that his lunchtime situation could have been a lot worse.

* * *

He learns that she comes to the rooftops on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The ace begrudgingly shares the area with the younger Akagi, only content to do so because he refuses to find a new safe haven during the chaos that lunchtime brings. No words about their rooftop encounters are exchanged during practice, much to his relief.

She always arrives before he does and leaves after him. Although she fails to acknowledge his presence most of the time (he wonders what is so fascinating about her books that it completely blocks out her surroundings) but on the rare occasion that their eyes meet, she sends him a nervous smile before hiding behind her book again. No greetings or small talk is attempted, and Rukawa's irritation towards her is tamed by her much-appreciated silence. Despite being in each other's presence moreso than originally intended their routines remain undisturbed. As Haruko mentally teleports herself into some fictional realm (he only guesses that is the case since he assumes her to be a fan of the make-believe yet does not care enough to want to find out), Rukawa sleeps undisturbed. While this entire situation is not ideal for Shohoku's ace, the peace that the rooftop area brings to him remains unperturbed.

A month has passed since their first rooftop encounter and the initial annoyance felt towards Akagi Haruko's presence has subsided into acceptance. She may not be a friend but she is certainly no enemy.

* * *

It is on a Monday that things change.

In the back of his mind Rukawa marks this particular day of the week as one of those where Haruko doesn't spend lunch with him. Despite him having grown accustomed to her presence, the ace still preferred solitude. The best company is no company and that isn't going to change anytime soon. So when he steps out onto the rooftop he doesn't expect to see her there. Lucky for him, she isn't. However, located in her usual spot is a book. _Her_ book.

If it belonged to anyone else he wouldn't have bothered any more with the item. However, this book belongs to the girl that he unwillingly shares the rooftop with twice a week. After a month and a half he still knows next-to-nothing about the younger Akagi. And it is the fact that he knows less than the bare minimum about her that unsettles him.

Looking around to ensure that there is no one in sight, Rukawa uncharacteristically allows his curiosity to get the better of him. He approaches the book slowly, as though it has the potential to explode at any moment. Gingerly picking the item up, thick eyebrows raise at the odd title. " _50 Shades of Grey"_ \- he wonders how a mere book about colours is able to capture the girl's undivided attention for several lunchtimes. Maybe she's interested in art?

Before he has a chance to skim the book's content the door bursts open to reveal a very breathless Haruko. Her eyes are first drawn to his, and then her stare lowers to the book in his hands, making her grow even more flustered. She walks towards him cautiously; her cerulean gaze constantly shifts between his face and the book. It takes only a few seconds for the ace to put two-and-two together: there's something in this book that she doesn't want him to see. A part of him wants to know what this mystery is, while his more rational side decides against the notion - after all, he wouldn't want people sticking their noses in his business. And he doesn't care enough to sneak a peek at this point.

Once within distance, Haruko practically snatches the book out of his hands. A suspicious expression mars her delicate features. Rukawa inwardly marvels at how foreign it looks on her: she is much better suited to her standard cheerful expression and thousand-watt smile. But perhaps this is because he finds it easier to associate sunshine and rainbows with her personality, and the idea of there being more sides to this girl will contradict the little knowledge he has about her.

"Thank you for finding my book Rukawa-kun," the corners of her lips lift slightly into an uneasy smile, she looks more worried than thankful. "Did you...have you...read it?"

"No."

Instantly relief washes over her features: her furrowed brows ease and a genuine smile replaces the nervous one. Having realised that she's given herself away, the younger Akagi attempts to school her features into one of apathy. Unfortunately, the person Haruko is trying to fool is the king of indifference and he can spot her miserable failure from a mile away.

Maybe it is because the ace couldn't care less about her discomfort, or perhaps he finds her facial expressions so amusing; perhaps it is a bit of both which induce him to ask, "Should I read it?"

He gets the results he expects.

A rosy hue stains her alabaster complexion, eyes widen (he is momentarily taken aback by the sheer blue of her irises) and Rukawa holds back a chuckle when her gaze shifts to the floor as she bits her lip pondering her answer. "That depends..."

"On what?" Not once do his eyes waver from her face, greedily drinking in her array of expressions. The gesture may be out of character for him, but now that he has found her weakness he cannot pass up the opportunity to use it to his advantage. In fact, this may make her feel so uncomfortable that she may never return to the rooftop again. Besides, if he can derive some twisted form of entertainment from Sakuragi's disgustingly boisterous attitude, he can certainly garner amusement from another person of the opposite nature to himself.

"Well...ummm...uhh..." she stammers, earning a raised brow in response.

 _\- Riiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg -_

Fate doesn't seem to be completely against the younger Akagi today. The bell signals the end of their conversation, and both sophomore students leave for their next classes without another word.

* * *

He is somewhat surprised to see her familiar brown mop of hair seated by wall of the rooftop as she reads the same book that caused yesterday's awkward experience. As per usual, she doesn't even flinch at the screeching sound of the door being roughly shoved open and no words of greeting are exchanged as he lies down with his arms folded behind his head, a few metres away from her.

This time, however, Rukawa pays slightly more attention to the girl than usual; he finds himself observing the dramatic yet unconscious shifts in expression as her eyes dart back and forth across the page: a slight downturn of the lips, rapid blinks, anxious lip-bites, almost unnoticeable head-tilts. Her reactions are too obvious, as though she is putting on a show for him, but the unfaltering pace of her eye-movements ( _left to right, left to right_ ) prove it's all natural.

Without realising, his gaze drifts downwards from her facial features to study the lithe frame of the unsuspecting girl. She hunches ever-so-slightly over the novel that suffers from the tight grip of her hands, as though subconsciously attempting to shield its content from prying eyes. Cobalt immediately snaps away from the source of their curiosity: prying eyes like _his own_ at that moment. He is confident that she didn't notice him staring, but what disconcerted him was the fact that he was staring in the first place. Rukawa has never been one to stare at anyone or anything - excluding the basket or the scoreboard - and to find himself staring at a member of the opposite sex to intensely either reflects poorly on him or very well on her. His gaze slides back to the girl: what is it about Akagi Haruko that intrigues him so?

The snap of a book being shut breaks his reverie, but before he can avert his stare he is met with startled cerulean. Haruko's cheeks warm with embarrassment once she realises she is being watched, or rather, observed. Offering the ace a weak smile, she hastily climbs to her feet, shoving the novel into her leather bag with more force than necessary. Without wasting a single second she sprints towards the door, mumbling a choked "Excuse me" as she passes and flees the scene, leaving Rukawa to bask in his thoughts.

Now he knows why he is so transfixed with the younger Akagi. She is acting suspicious and naturally it has warranted his attention. Rukawa is accustomed to the sight of an anxious Haruko. Over the years he's been greeted by a flustered Akagi so often that he finds occasions where his presence leaves her unaffected rare. Yet this time her anxiety does not resemble that of a failed attempt to quell her attraction, instead it looks more like the nervousness of a person desperately trying to hide something.

Instinct tells him that this "something" has everything to do with that book.

* * *

If Haruko is trying to be subtle with her growing discomfort around Rukawa, she is failing miserably. Ever since she caught him staring at her, he hasn't seen her loitering at the rooftop. While this is exactly what he has desired since the first time he found her there some months ago, Rukawa is slightly surprised to find that her absence affects his naptime more than her presence did. Either way, she is still irritating him. What're more, coherent sentences in the ace's presence have proven to be impossible for the younger Akagi: this inevitably made their evening training sessions quite troublesome at times.

Like right now, for instance.

"So guys!" She begins brightly, gazing at the other players with barely-contained excitement, "We have a practise match against Ryonan in two weeks! But that's not all..." her thousand-watt smile glowed even brighter, "Sendoh promises to be there for this match!" Her hands meet with a clap to demonstrate her glee.

The players, on the other hand, are not as eager.

"But Haruko-san, we're not ready to play against a team so skilled. We'll lose for sure!"

Their low self-confidence does not dampen her cheerful aura. "This will be a great experience for you all. Losing is just as important as winning, after all. Just do your best and who knows? We might, no..." she lifts her fist in the air, "we _will_ win! Besides..." cerulean eyes flit to Rukawa and she feels her face getting warm. Reactively, she shifts her gaze elsewhere, lifting her hand to shield herself from his critical eye under the guise of an awkward head-scratch, "...with Rukawa-kun and Sakuragi-kun on our team we have a big shot at winning..."

Whilst everyone is distracted by Sakuragi's anticipated response to such praise ("NYAYAYAYA! Have no fear, the tensai is here!") nobody notices Haruko's anxious fidgeting under the intense stare of a very suspicious Rukawa Kaede.

Except for one.

"Ohohohohoho..."

* * *

5 days pass sine the announcement of their upcoming match against Ryonan and not once has Haruko looked Rukawa in the eye. The latter has started to catch on to her antics and a surge of annoyance and restlessness builds within him. His existence has been completely and uncharacteristically ignored by the younger Akagi during training - he isn't sure whether this is a blessing or a curse.

"Nice shot Rukawa-senpai."

"Thanks." He grunts as he resumes his shooting drills.

"We're leaving now, senpai. Goodnight!"

"Night."

As he continues practicing in solitude, Rukawa feels the tick of irritation festering in the crease of his brows: what if her awkward behaviour is picked up on by the rest of Shohoku's basketball squad? Wouldn't this affect their team dynamic?

As much as he wants to accuse her of hindering their team performance, the ace knows that his team manageress would never put her personal problems before their team - she is too devoted to their team and too considerate a person to do such things. This could only mean, however, that whatever she is hiding is something big.

And, for the sake of quelling his curiosity before it grows to unmanageable heights, Rukawa is going to find out what it is.

* * *

Oddly enough, opportunity presents itself the very next day. As was the usual, Rukawa is the last player to leave the court after Haruko and Sakuragi as the latter insists on walking her home to "ensure her safety". In all honesty, it is the time he has to himself in the school's gym that Rukawa treasures the most - perhaps even more than their training sessions.

After a cooling shower Rukawa walks out of the changing rooms to find the court empty, save for a familiar object on the bench. Upon closer inspection he realises what it is and smirks to himself. If Haruko really has something to hide, she shouldn't leave things around for the whole world to investigate. Because lo and behold, the team manager has left the object of her secrecy in his reach _again_ , as though she wants him to uncover the mysteries that lie behind its sleek cover.

Perhaps it is fate that lead him to stumble across the very same book that he found the other day, the very same book that causes Haruko so much grief. This time there is no one to stop him and Rukawa refuses to spend another minute in suspense and nonsensical confusion. Finally allowing himself to succumb to his overwhelming curiosity, he opens the book to the most recently thumb-nailed page and sneaks a peak at its content.

How he wishes he hadn't.

* * *

 **This is a gift fic for mace445 who had submitted 6 words for me to make a fic from but since the "6 word challenge" thing was over, I've just decided to write this multi-chaptered fic for her instead.**

 **Sorry if it's not up to the mark, I'm rusty.**

 **Thank you for your patience, everyone.** **(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**The first paragraph is an extract from 50 Shades of Grey. I've never read this book before so I can't recommend nor discourage you guys from reading it. I literally just typed in "steamy scene 50 shades" and one of the links mentioned an elevator scene.**

 **Sorry for the wait my precious babies, hope this chapter is worth it. :)**

* * *

' _He lunges at me, pushing me against the wall of the elevator. Before I know it, he's got both of my hands in one of his in a vice-like grip above my head, and he's pinning me to the wall using his hips. Holy shit. His other hand grabs my hair and yanks down, bringing my face up, and his lips are on mine. It's only just not painful. I moan into his mouth, giving his tongue an opening. He takes full advantage, his tongue expertly exploring my mouth. I have never been kissed like this. My tongue tentatively strokes his and joins his in a slow, erotic dance that's all about touch and sensation, all bump and grind. He brings his hand up to grasp my chin and holds me in place. I'm helpless, my hands pinned, my face held, and his hips restraining me. His erection-'_

Rukawa snaps the book shut however by then it's too late: the damage has been done. His mind, his body, his _entire being_ has been shocked into silence. No words pass his lips, no thought enters his brain. His body is rendered incapable of producing any movement. One could say he is as still as a statue, however "corpse" is a more befitting word to describe his catatonia.

Although he can hardly believe what he has just read, he isn't about to open the book again to confirm it.

After placing it back on the bench he cycles home in a daze. His movements are mechanical, as though his body is possessed by another. He refuses to let his mind wander to the scandalous images painted by that prose of erotica, deciding to focus on the road ahead and the periodical squeak of his pedals as he cycles home amongst Kanegawa's sparse night-time traffic.

(*Honk! Honk!* "Learn to ride a bike dumbass!")

Unfortunately that isn't working out well for him either.

* * *

Later into the night in the solace of his bedroom he realises — with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach — the implications of his daunting discovery. If the younger Akagi reads a book like _this,_ doesn't that make her a…

No. That's impossible.

Mentally flicking through his memories of Shohoku's second team manager, Rukawa can't recall any instances of Haruko _not_ being a paragon of virtue. Silently acknowledged by everyone on their basketball squad as a cheerful albeit slightly naive girl, everything about her screams purity. Even when flustered she paints a picture of innocence.

However, the fact that such erotic literature is in Haruko's possession is one proof too many of her perversion, completely belying her public demeanour.

His mind drifts to their most recent rooftop encounter, where she was deeply immersed in the very book he loses his sanity over. The nibbling of her lips, the rapid blinks, her gaze darting around the place, the rosy hue in her cheeks: were these all signs of her arousal?

Does she _want_ someone to treat her the way the woman in the book was?

He finds himself picturing startled cerulean irises dilating as they stare back at him, scanning his face as he encages her against the wall with his arms—

He chokes. No. He will not go down that road.

Rukawa is too stunned by the existence of dirty thoughts in his head to berate himself for thinking that way in the first place. He's forgotten that hormones exist in everyone and it is moments like this that makes him remember he is still a sixteen year old boy riding out puberty's final waves.

It takes him time to recover from the shock of not only imagining himself be intimate with his ex-Captain's little sister, but from the small flame of desire that fuelled his fantasy. Like any normal teenager Rukawa's gaze has trailed down the dips and curves of the opposite sex before — how can he not when some parade their cleavages around? — however carnal pleasure isn't an emotion he has given much attention to; whatever inklings of lust and sexual frustrations felt are channelled into his game. He devotes his energy and emotions so wholeheartedly into basketball that he often finds himself too fatigued to do anything but rest (hence sleeping being his only other hobby).

Therefore the fact that he fantasised about a woman after years of absolute focus on basketball can only mean one thing.

He hasn't been training hard enough.

* * *

Shohoku's ace brings on the heat during the next day's training session, much to the surprise of his teammates. Forgoing dunks for off-the-dribble threes — as the latter required more technique — Rukawa is so involved in his training that he doesn't notice the stares of awe from players and supporters alike. Heck, he doesn't even hear the shrill shrieks from his group of stalkers.

Faking a dash to the right, he swiftly passes the ball between his legs and catches it with his left, ankle breaking his opponent with a crossover dribble as he makes his way to the three-point line, finishing his one-man show with a jumper and hitting nothing but net.

Ignoring the open-mouthed stares from his teammates and his fangirls' squeals, Rukawa jogs back to his end of the court to prepare for defense.

"Sorry I'm late."

He stiffens at the familiar voice. Refusing to look at the entrance - he knows _she'll_ be there and he will not let himself be distracted - he focuses on holding up the zone.

"Would you look at that," Mitsui whistles appreciatively, looking in the forbidden direction. "One of those siblings have got to be adopted."

Ryota spares a glance at the entrance as he dribbles up to them with his practice team. "Oi focus on the game," he admonishes the senior with his practiced tone, secretly thrilled to be able to use his "captain voice" so soon.

As predicted, it has no effect on the three pointer. Instead the sharpshooter gives him a shit-eating grin, "I don't think you should be telling _me_ that."

Rukawa's muscles tense ever-so-slightly at his sempai's retort. Forcing himself to relax, he watches the ex-gangster out of the corner of his eyes, waiting for him to explain his words. As far as the ace is concerned, he has made the effort to ignore rather than acknowledge the presence by the door. So Mitsui _can't_ be talking about him.

To his relief, Mitsui gestures to another player on Ryota's team. Following the direction of his finger, both Ryota and Rukawa aren't particularly surprised to find themselves staring at a mop of red hair. Sighing helplessly they continue their game, ignoring Sakuragi's frozen form as the flustered rebounder devotes all his attention to the newcomer.

It is only when a ball crashes into the delinquent face-first — sending him plummeting into the ground — do they call for a break.

"Sakuragi-kun!" Haruko shrieks, concern etched onto her features as she rushes towards the player helplessly sprawled out on the floor, a ball covering his face.

"That looks pretty bad," Yasuda remarks as the younger Akagi gently lifts the ball from Sakuragi's face, revealing a stream of blood flowing from his left nostril. "He's bleeding!"

Mitsui and Ryota shake their heads at their teammate's ignorance. "That wasn't from the ball," Mitsui's tone is oddly suggestive, prompting their ace to turn to the commotion.

Rukawa swallows, involuntarily (yet oh-so-greedily) drinking in the sight of a flustered Haruko clad in tiny white shorts and a rather tight-fitting shirt with SHOHOKU printed in bold across her—

"Sakuragi-kun are you alright?" Kneeling beside the redhead, she produces a piece of tissue and proceeds to wipe residue blood from his nose.

Not eager to witness the look of complete and utter bliss on the idiot's face, Rukawa approaches the bench and grabs his towel, vigorously wiping away at the sweat droplets as he takes a swig from his water bottle. He curses to himself. Now that he isn't playing his thoughts are no longer clouded by the desire to score a basket, leaving it vulnerable to the intrusion of other, _less innocent_ desires.

He resists the urge to look at Haruko again. Unfortunately this does little to stop his mind from occasionally wandering to images of the team manager flushed with beads of sweat rolling down her alabaster complexion as she—

"Break's over!" Ryota barks, "Time for you maggots to get back on court!"

"Why don't you just shut up and go fuck yourself?!" Mitsui's retorts instantly.

* * *

"R-rukawa-kun?" She hasn't appeared on the rooftop for so long that when he opens the door to find her sitting against the wall with a book in her hands, Rukawa makes a bee-line straight for her.

Haruko stands up, tucking her book away in her bag when she realises that — based on his unwavering gaze directed at her and his unfaltering steps — whatever he is planning on doing has everything to do with her. Like a deer caught in headlights she freezes; unable to come up with an escape plan for the 187cm wrecking ball headed in her direction. With the wall directly behind her, the last two options available are to go left or right. However at the rate that he is closing the gap between them, the opportunities for her to outmanoeuvre him are rapidly diminishing.

Only when he is a metre's distance from the girl does he stop moving. Rukawa ignores her fearful expression, eyes glued to the bag carrying the offending piece of literature that has destroyed all his assumptions of her character. He pries the bag out of her hands with ease — she is too surprised by his forward behaviour to put up much of a resistance — and sets it down on the floor behind him.

Even after relinquishing his hold on it the younger Akagi's eyes never leave the bag, as though she is too frightened to look the man standing 3 feet away from her. What would she see in those cold cobalt eyes?

Seconds tick by before the ace runs out of patience, clearing his throat to get her attention.

Her gaze remains glued to the ground.

Having enough of this meaningless charade, Rukawa takes another step forward until he can feel a few strands of her fringe tickle the button of his nose. With their extreme proximity, the team manager's vision is clouded by his entire figure, leaving her with no other option than to stare at his chest if she is to avoid eye-contact with the man before her.

What feels like an eternity passes in silence as Haruko refuses to look him in the eye while the latter refuses to say a word until she does.

Luckily for the ace, silence is familiar territory.

"Is there anything I can do for you Rukawa-kun?" Unable to bear the quiet any longer she slowly lifts her stare to meet his, finding herself lost in the sheer intensity of his glare as he remains silent.

Haruko anxiously bites her lower lip in anticipation and like a moth to a flame Rukawa's gaze is instantly drawn to her mouth. He stares unabashedly, watching her teeth nibble on them until his peripherals catch a glimpse of a rosy hue dusting her slightly freckled cheeks. Eyes travelling north, his focus eventually returns to her widened cerulean irises as he subconsciously inspects the flecks of grey contained within them.

"Stop pretending to not know what I want."

Angling his face downwards Rukawa barely registers their noses brushing against each other, too preoccupied by the warmth of her breath dancing along his lips. The rosy hue at her cheekbones darken into crimson and Haruko's half lidded eyes are enough of an indication of the impure thoughts running wild in her head.

"Stop pretending that you don't want this too."

Wasting no further time he slants his lips over hers, closing his eyes to relish in the sensation. Moving his mouth against her own, he muffles her half-hearted protests, ignoring them in favour of coaxing her lips to respond against his with gentle, unhurried movements. It doesn't take long for her to respond albeit timidly, as she weaves nimble fingers into silky raven locks, lashes tickling his cheeks as her eyes flutter shut.

Rukawa's arms glide along her back, one securing itself around the small of her waist while the other runs up the nape of her neck to cup the back of her head, holding her in place as he deepens the kiss. Swallowing her moans as their tongues collide, he pulls her petite frame flush against his own so that he can feel every inch of her supple body pressed up intimately against his.

Sliding his hand from her waist downwards, he smirks when Haruko gasps at the sudden contact of his hand on her rear as he boldly cups one of her cheeks. Rukawa glides his hand further down from her cheek to the back of her thigh, wrapping her leg around his waist. His lips leave hers, trailing south to latch onto the column of her throat. Teasing the skin with his teeth, he instinctively rolls his hips against hers.

"Rukawa-kun!" Haruko whispers as he nips lightly at her collarbone.

"Rukawa-kun!" her voice drops a few octaves, yet he is too engrossed in releasing his frustrations to notice.

"TEME-KITSUNE!" she shouts, punching him in the face.

* * *

"TEME-KITSUNE!" Sakuragi roars at the slumbering boy, decking him square in the face. Ryota and Mitsui hold him back before he can deal more damage to their ace.

A few seconds later a yawn reaches their ears, halting their three-way tussle. Pulling himself into a sitting position, Rukawa scratches the back of his head as he gathers his bearings, sighing in relief at the younger Akagi's absence.

It was just a dream.

Three shadows loom ominously over his form. At first he thinks they're those idiot gangsters trying to pick a fight on a freshman halfway through the year, then he notices the distinct outline of his vertically-challenged captain's curly hair and the moron's buzz cut. He sets aside the desire to pulverise his teammates for waking him up.

"Is lunch over?" Rukawa states rather than asks, slowly getting to his feet.

"Not just lunch, school's over too Rukawa. How long have you been up here for?"

Brows furrow, Rukawa started his nap five minutes into lunchtime. Normally the bell signalling the start of afternoon classes is loud enough to rouse him from slumber. If school is finished for the day…

"I'm done waiting for this bastard!" Sakuragi bellows, stomping his way towards the rooftop entrance as he violently yanks the metal door open, "I'll go train by myself."

Ryota rushes after him, leaving the aces alone together.

Blue meets black. For the longest time neither player speaks. Then Mitsui lowers his gaze, his eyes stopping their trail below Rukawa's waist.

"So you _do_ have hormones."

Chuckling to to himself the sharpshooter turns to follow his teammates, walking away without sparing his junior another glance. Confused by the older student's words, the freshman looks down and pales at the sight that greets him.

Rukawa may be half-asleep but _little Rukawa_ is definitely wide awake.

* * *

Training that day is not as awkward as expected.

Be it practice or a real match, when Rukawa is on the court _winning_ is the only thing he concerns himself with. Nothing else matters except for victory. Easily forgetting about his undesired dirty dreams the ace is more than relieved to find that his preoccupation with their new team manager does not affect his basketball skills in the slightest. He isn't the type of athlete who would let personal matters interfere with the quality of his game, and he isn't about to become one now.

"Alright guys," their point guard claps his hands. "Hit the showers. We're done for the day!"

"Good work!" Shohoku's players chorus before making their way to the bathrooms, exiting the gym until only the team managers remain.

As usual Rukawa stayed behind to practice individually. Practicing his scoop shots and fade aways, he has never felt more at peace than when every part of him is synchronised with the ball, as though it is an extension of his hand.

Never has he felt so in control than at that moment, especially given how the past week has been plagued with vivid dreams of him and Haruko engaged in unspeakable activities. Upon discovering that she is a closet pervert, his own hormones have begun acting up and corrupting his mind.

Yet none of that matters right now. Not when he is in the zone, staring at the net with a clarity that he can only find on the basketball court. Not when the ball rolls off his fingers and into the hoop with a grace that makes him wonder whether his body's recent disobedience was all merely imagination.

"Feeling better Rukawa?" Yet, judging by the knowing look on Mitsui's face as he emerges from the changing rooms, it was definitely real.

Rukawa chooses not to respond to the older student's taunts, channelling his energy into shooting from the free throw line instead.

Unfortunately for the current ace, Mitsui is not dissuaded by silence and cannot pass up the opportunity to taunt his ice-block of a teammate.

"Soo…who was it you were dreaming of?"

Rukawa walks forward to retrieve the ball, giving no indication of having heard the ex-gangster's words.

"Do I know her?"

Walking back to the free throw line he shoots Mitsui a venomous glare. The sharpshooter raises his brows, feigning innocence as he hoists his bag onto his shoulder and takes leave.

Just before he exits the gym into the night he freezes, standing stock-still as though struck by an invisible bolt of lightning. He turns slowly to face Rukawa, revealing widened black eyes as Mitsui practically yells,

"Do I know _him?_ "

* * *

 **In case it wasn't clear in the fic, when the boys woke Rukawa up he had a boner.**

 **You can probably tell by the quality of this fic that I was in a rush. I'll admit it, this was put together quickly because the next few days I'll be waaaay too busy to work on anything. Do tell me via review/pm if there are errors in the fic or anything I need to clarify.**

 **Thank you for bearing with this and with me.**

 **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**


	3. Chapter 3

**You might be wondering why I'm called thirteenchrysanthemums now.**

 **Turns out I wasn't the only yourstruly247 around and I was recently confused with the other yourstruly247s, a completely understandable mixup.** **The only yourstruly247 accounts that were mine are the deviantart and THIS fanfiction one. The yourstruly247 twitter, blogspot, ebay, sexstories, myspace, socialblade, youtube, etc. accounts are not mine. Oh and I don't use the deviantart one so there's no point following that.**

 **To avoid this mixup in the future, I've changed my penname.**

* * *

 _ **REVIEW CORNER:**_

 **While I really want to reply all the guest/non-user reviews I hate dragging out Author's notes. So I'll just give group replies okay?**

 **Guest (Dec 24), Herp-a-derp, wow:**

 **The "Do I know him" ending for the previous chapter was ABSOLUTELY SPONTANEOUS! It was great to see you all enjoy that random twist at the end. Seriously, I giggled so hard when I read the reviews about you guys cracking up at that part.**

 **Guest (Dec 22), Haruko, Pat:**

 **A hormonal Rukawa is so fun to write that I'm often tempted to just let him simmer in unresolved sexual tension. But he's too hot to not write him doing some sexy things so... ;) I'm really glad that you guys like this side of Rukawa though. Thought it would be too OOC for most to handle.**

 **Guest (Dec 20), Guest (Dec 20) {there's two of you so...}:**

 **Phew. I've always believe that if the flow isn't good then I fail as a writer. And it feels so good to be back. :)**

* * *

Lunchtime is peaceful. Conversations between students carry through the afternoon breeze, complementing the tranquility provided by the birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind. From the rooftop their voices sound no louder than a murmur, simple tunes that contribute to the vast melodies of the world. It's the little things like these that prove nature and humanity can coexist in harmony.

Rukawa, however, is too preoccupied with the girl writhing underneath him to notice.

"Mmmmm," Haruko breathes a moan as he runs his calloused fingers along her sides. Her gasps cause a trail of goosebumps down to the base his spine, his hips unconsciously bucking against hers. A louder moan leaves her lips at the delicious friction between their lower regions and Rukawa struggles to contain the fire inside him, further ignited by the delectable sounds coming from her throat.

She arches into him, her mounds firmly pressing into his chest. The fabric of their uniforms are so thin that he feels every inch of her frame on him, yet it isn't nearly enough. Wrapping an arm around her waist he pulls Haruko flush against him, elevating their proximity to such that her shudders of pleasure mold into his.

A bead of sweat trails down the side of her head, slipping past her jawline and into the crevice of her neck. Rukawa catches the droplet with his tongue, greedily lapping away at its salty flavour before latching onto her alabaster skin, playing with the tender flesh between his teeth.

She mewls, hands fisting the scruff of his shirt with a strength that contradicts her small size. Then again he never thought she'd be aroused by such lewd activities. Biting into her neck, he relishes in the whimper of delight that escapes her as he marks Haruko his.

Tearing away from her neck, cobalt irises settle on the flushed complexion of the team manager. He gauges her reaction when his fingers dance across the hem of her underwear, inscrutable eyes seeking approval to proceed. Her gaze snaps to his, blush deepening tenfold as she opens her mouth…

…and unleashes the loudest scream known to mankind.

* * *

-riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing-

Rukawa wakes up to the sound of his alarm clock ringing, overwhelmed with the urge to smash his skull into his bedpost.

* * *

If he's being honest with himself, Mitsui feels pretty bad for calling Rukawa out on his sexual preferences. Truth be told he's suspected the guy of being queer for quite some time now, with how he has girls drooling all over him yet never seems to take interest in any of them. If the guy has a girlfriend (he's willing to bet his life savings on the ice block being as single as a pringle) he pities her: she's better off dating a _rock,_ what with the way the ace eat, sleeps and breathes basketball.

But who's he to judge? Mitsui was a thug walking down a dark path for two years before Shohoku's basketball team guided him to the light. Although Rukawa's situation is quite different — he's pretty sure being a homosexual isn't a crime — Mitsui is sure that their basketball club would accept the freshman with the same warm reception they gave an undeserving gangster.

Which is why Mitsui feels like an absolute douchcanoe for reacting like he did to his junior's situation last night. As a member of Shohoku, his behaviour was unacceptable. He shouldn't have been surprised when Rukawa ignored his question entirely, calling him an idiot with an IQ on par with Sakuragi's. What did he expect the ace to say in that position?

The sharpshooter is ashamed by his own reaction. If Shohoku's players could receive him with open arms despite his obvious flaws, it is only right for him to extend such hospitality to his junior, no matter how uncomfortable the thought of it makes him.

Sliding the gym doors open Mitsui strides into the court with unwavering resolve, eager to get this off his chest before their match against Ryonan commences.

* * *

The floor is painted with blue and red as players warm up on their allocated halves of the court. One can hardly distinguish one ball from another as players dribble up to the basket for layup drills, the smack of the ball colliding with the ground reverberating across the gym walls. As it is a weekend, the practice game has few spectators (if you can consider benchwarmers and team managers observers).

Yet let that be no reason to doubt the importance of this match. Despite the lack of atmosphere the will to win burns strong in every person on the court, regardless of whether they are in the starting five or not.

"Alright Shohoku, to the benches!" Ryota hollers, his teammates obediently following him off the court.

"Rukawa," Mitsui sits beside the boy, gathering the willpower to follow through with the conversation he's been planning all morning. When the ace spares him a glance, he takes it as his cue to proceed. "About yesterday…"

Rukawa raises a brow. "What happened yesterday?"

"You mean… you don't remember what we talked about at training?"

He tilts his head slightly, brows furrowing in a rare display of genuine confusion. "Should I?"

"W-well…" Mitsui stammers, at a loss for words. He's torn between being relieved and insulted. Of all the reactions he expects, having Rukawa forgetting about the incident entirely is not one of them. Wiping beads of perspiration from his forehead, he ponders the possibility of the ace simply pretending not to know what he's talking about, in order to save himself from future embarrassment.

Although he is sorely tempted to play along with this charade — he'd rather not bring it up again, _ever,_ — Mitsui doesn't feel right leaving things this. Cursing his newfound conscience, the senior thinks of how best to phrase his next words.

"Hello everyone!"

Turning to the newcomer, he chuckles to himself when greeted with the sight of the younger Akagi stumbling through the door, two large boxes of water bottles tucked under her scrawny arms. Even under the burdensome weight her demeanour remains as cheerful as ever.

"HARUKO-SANNNNN." Sakuragi rushes over to the girl, hoisting one of the boxes onto his shoulder with ease. He reaches for the second box.

"That's alright Sakuragi-kun," using both of her arms to secure the weight against her, Haruko flashes him a winning smile, "Thank you for the help!"

Rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, a sheepish grin breaks out on his face. "Anything for Haruko-san!"

"Looks like Sakuragi can be a gentleman when he wants to be," Mitsui remarks as he examines the pair's interactions, expecting the boy beside him to throw in his usual insult for the redhead. When his comment is met with silence the sharpshooter turns to his brooding teammate, assuming that something else has taken the latter's focus and he simply hadn't heard him.

To his surprise he is very wrong. For Rukawa's focus is right where he thought it wasn't, staring — no, _glaring —_ at the unsuspecting pair as they approach Shohoku's bench. His eyes scream bloody murder.

"Thanks Haruko-chan!"

"No problem Ayako-san. Is our team ready for the match?"

"Of course we are Haruko-san, the tensai is always ready!"

Observing Rukawa carefully, when he fails to sneak in a retort to the obnoxious voice at the second given opportunity Mitsui knows something is wrong. "Oi Rukawa, what's the matter with you?"

Suddenly the boy in question freezes up, fingers curling into fists as he smoothly averts his attention from the pair. For the sake of looking elsewhere Rukawa stares at the court, his gaze unfocused.

"Mitsui-senpai," A voice breaks the senior out of his scrutiny. Mitsui turns to see a hand holding an unopened bottle of water. Following the limb to its owner's smiling face he takes the bottle, muttering a quick thanks as he places it beside him. Reverting his attention back to the ace, whatever question he was about to ask dies in his throat.

"Rukawa-kun," The younger Akagi stands in front of him, holding his bottle as she patiently awaits his response. Shohoku's ace, on the other hand, shows no indication of taking the bottle, let alone of hearing her. Miitsui can only look on in silent wonder as his teammate stares through their new team manager.

"Rukawa-kun?" Haruko nervously shifts her weight from one foot to another, waiting for him to respond. He doesn't even flinch. Moments of awkward silence stretch on painfully before Haruko decides to give up.

The ex-MVP sighs, watching her shoulders sag in defeat as she retracts her outstretched arm dejectedly. Rukawa may not be interested in girls, however this is completely uncalled for. Rude doesn't even begin to describe his behaviour towards Haruko. Sure her feelings for the boy are as plain as day but that gives him no reason to ignore her like one of his fangirls. He's even shown Ayako more respect than this.

"Wait."

A hand grasps her wrist, prying the bottle from her fingers. Rukawa pierces her with a stare, cobalt eyes unreadable as he nods his wordless gratitude. Based on his tense posture and the frown on his lips, Mitsui would have assumed he's annoyed by the girl's presence. Months of playing alongside the boy has taught him, however, that Shohoku's ace is always annoyed.

He has half a mind to tell the boy to loosen up until he notices a flush of red tinging the pale expanse of Rukawa's neck. Following the boy's gaze, he breaks out into a shit-eating grin when he finds the ace trying to subtly stare at the younger Akagi and failing _miserably_.

"Don't tell me, Rukawa…"

"What." He turns to Mitsui, sounding oddly defensive. Unluckily for him, the three pointer is observant enough to notice the tips of his ears turn a light shade of pink. If possible, his grin grows even wider.

So they _do_ have the same sexual preferences.

"Nothing," the ex-MVP chuckles to himself, realising that there really is nothing that needed resolving.

The whistle blows, prompting the starting players to leave the bench. "Don't slack off during our game."

"Says the one who passes out before it's over."

"What did you say?!"

* * *

The score is 59-60 with Ryonan trailing by a point. Rukawa can't shake off the feeling of deja vu as he sprints back to defend, wary of the white jersey in front of him and the number seven that taunts his vision. Everyone is past the point of fatigue, operating purely on adrenaline and their burning desire for victory. It is no longer a game of physical ability, but a test of mental strength.

However, if that's the case, why does this spiky haired annoyance have so much bounce in his step?

"Less than 2 minutes left!"

Summoning energy from already exhausted reserves Rukawa dashes forward, putting himself in front of his rival with the knowledge that he is literally the only obstacle between Sendoh and the basket. His teammates won't catch up in time to stop the Ryonan player if he breaks through; they're too far behind. As the ace of Shohoku and more importantly, as a self-respecting basketball player, it is his duty to protect their lead with all he's got.

"Defense! Defense!"

Sendoh leaps towards the basket, gripping the ball as though his life depends on it.

"He's going to dunk!"

Rukawa jumps, shoving his hand onto the ball in an attempt to deny Sendoh's dunk. The mid-air tussle that haunted his mind weeks ago is brought to reality, and Rukawa is all too familiar with how the ending goes in that dream. That doesn't mean he won't fight it tooth and nail.

Swallowing his premonition, his free hand joins the other one in his attempt to force the ball away, carelessly abandoning balance in order to block this basket. Dreams are not reality. Rukawa Kaede is not a boy who believes in fate; not when he's trained day and night to acquire the skills needed to carve his team's future on the basketball court.

Thus when the sweat builds on his palm and he sees the loathsome smirk on his rival's face, he doesn't know what to believe anymore. Seconds later his grip fails him and he finds himself free falling under the pressure of Sendoh's dunk, plummeting towards the ground unable to do anything but helplessly watch as the sophomore moves to thrust the ball into the basket in one fell swoop.

Just before he closes his eyes — unable to bear the sight of the older boy's success — a mop of obnoxious red hair clouds his vision. The sound of a hand smacking a ball resonates across the walls, stunning the sideline crowd into a stupor. Rukawa vaguely hears a ball bouncing off in the distance and a whistle being blown before his head collides with the ground.

"Referee time out!"

* * *

Haruko couldn't be more thrilled to see her two favourite players preventing Ryonan's star from landing a crucial shot. When Sendoh managed to shake off their ace, Haruko thought it was over. With everybody tired out of their minds, an explosive dunk would be the perfect method to destroy Shohoku's morale.

However Sakuragi has always been full of delightful surprises.

His block silenced everyone: the bench-players, team managers, Coach Taoka. Although they've seen him do it before, there's something about the way Sakuragi defends that never ceases to amaze those around him. For a second Haruko forgot about her crush and the fact that it was his challenge that bought the redhead enough time to come back to defend in the first place.

But the solid smack of Rukawa's head hitting the ground is a quick reminder.

"Referee time out!"

"Rukawa!"

Shohoku's bench wastes no time in approaching their ace, surrounding the boy on the floor as they incessantly bombard him with questions. Rooted to her seat in panic, cerulean eyes zero in on the object of her affections, her mind blank.

"Do you need a break?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Are you okay?"

A crowd swarms around Rukawa making it even more difficult for him to get some space and just _breathe_. Despite their good intentions his teammates' hovering only serves to worsen his splitting headache. Thankfully Miyagi is quick to diffuse the tension.

"Calm down guys," he admonishes, jogging towards the circle of standing Shohoku players. "He hardly speaks when he's fine, what makes you think he'll answer you now?"

Ayako can't help but smirk at the point guard's methods. Although his words aren't the most diplomatic, it achieves the desired effect. Sweat-dropping at their captain's logic, they step backwards to give the team managers access to the injured player, focusing their efforts instead on congratulating Sakuragi for his game-saving block while the two girls hoist Rukawa's arms over their shoulders and lead him off the court.

"Anzai-sensei," Ayako asks, "what should we do?"

The coach in question scrutinises his prodigy behind his glasses, thoroughly assessing his semiconscious state. Everyone pauses their activities to hear his answer. Anzai is the the type of man who would think out every decision he makes right to its end result regardless of how dire the situation is.

This scenario is not an exception.

After what felt like an eternity, he turns to address the other girl tucked under Rukawa's arm.

"Haruko-san, can you take care of this?" She nods.

With the help of two bench players Rukawa is escorted out of the gym to the infirmary, with a fretting Haruko in tow.

"Haruko-san!" She pauses, looking over her shoulder. Sakuragi waves at her with his signature cocky grin in place.

"We'll win without the kitsune!"

Despite her worries Haruko smiles, the tension between her shoulders gradually subsiding. Giving him a thumbs up she leaves for the infirmary, more than certain that Shohoku's lead will not be lost and Rukawa's sacrifice will not be in vain.

* * *

"Just seat him there please," Haruko gestures to the vacant bed, giggling when the boys stumble over themselves to seat their half-alive teammate on the cot. Unfortunately once her eyes rest on Rukawa anxiety returns, gnawing at her insides.

Taking a deep breath she regains her composure. Coach Anzai wouldn't task her with this if he doesn't believe she can do it. Then again Coach Anzai also doesn't know that she's been avoiding their ace for the past week.

"Haruko-san?" Although the benchwarmers were kind enough to volunteer to transport Rukawa, the subtle drumming of their fingers against their thighs and their furtive glances to the door are telling signs of their eagerness to watch how the final minute unfolds.

She smiles, albeit weakly, at her fellow freshman. It would be cruel to force them to stay with her. "You guys go ahead, I can finish up over here on my own."

They look at her, uncertain.

"Cheer for them on my behalf okay?"

Nodding enthusiastically they sprint off towards the gym, leaving the younger Akagi alone with Shohoku's star player. A few weeks ago she would have given anything to be in this position with the boy of her dreams. A few weeks ago she didn't know his lunchtime routine.

A few weeks ago he didn't catch her reading a dirty book.

She can't look at him without inwardly dying of mortification. He said he hasn't read or heard of the book before but he could be lying to save themselves from future awkward situations. After all, who _hasn't_ heard of 50 Shades of Grey in this day and age? When the erotica became a trend Haruko — being an avid reader of romance novels herself — just _had_ to purchase her own copy and see what the fuss was all about.

With the book's notoriety, there was just no way she could read it at home or around her friends. Reading it on the rooftop seemed like the perfect idea, even if there was one other occupant. All he did was sleep there anyway.

The last thing she wanted was for him to notice her at a time like _that._

Haruko allows herself a small sigh before moving on. It's best not to dwell on the past, especially when doing so makes her cringe. She has a concussion test to carry out after all.

"So Ruka— my goodness!" All professionalism is thrown out of the window at the sight of the boy hanging onto the side of the cot for his dear life as he tries to stand. Rushing to the injured freshman she gently pries his fingers from the railing, biting her lip to stifle a whimper when he transfers his vice-grip onto her forearms.

Holding him lightly Haruko summons the courage to look into his unfocused gaze. "You need to sit down Rukawa-kun. You hit your head pretty hard just now and you might have a concussion."

Rukawa eyes the girl in front of him for a good few seconds before shaking his head, wincing at the twinge of pain the motion brings him. "I have to play. They need me."

Lips curving upwards, her smile falters slightly when she notices his unwavering stare directed at her mouth. His injury must be more serious than she thought. "You've done a great job Rukawa-kun," her tone is gentle. "Now let your teammates finish up the last minute."

To her bewilderment Rukawa roughly releases his hold on her arms, tearing is own away from her grip as he marches for the door. "Leave me alone, I have to play. You're so annoying."

Forcing away heartbreaking memories of him saying similar words during their first rooftop encounter, Haruko sprints past him to stand in front of the door. She spreads her arms out, standing resolutely in front of the infirmary's sole exit. He might hate her for this, yet as much as that would tear her apart, she doesn't care. Haruko knows things will only get worse for the boy she loves if he goes back out there and she'll never forgive herself if she lets that happen.

"Stop Rukawa-kun. Playing basketball now will endanger your health! Your head could get worse."

He sluggishly attempts to sidestep her, growling in irritation when she moves with him. "Go away."

"No." She bites out, placing her hands on his shoulder to anchor him in place when he tries to storm past her. Focused entirely on preventing him from leaving, she doesn't feel her back hitting the door nor notice how he tenses at their contact.

"Why do you want to play so badly Rukawa-kun? The game is practically over!" Cerulean meets cobalt for a second before he averts his stare, struggling even harder to break free from the girl despite his haphazard state. Sometime during their one-sided tussle her grip slips from his shoulders to his biceps, breathing growing laboured as beads of sweat roll down her face. While Haruko doesn't pay attention to these minute changes, it is all Rukawa can think about in his foggy state.

And it's driving him insane.

"Why—"

"Because if I don't," he mutters, "I'll do something stupid."

"Something…stupid?" _Like what?_

Suddenly he stops resisting altogether, loosening up to the point that every muscle sinks under the weight of his unspeakable burden. Leaning forward he rests his forehead against the door behind her, overcome with a weariness that's been working away at his bones for too long now. His blurry consciousness severely handicaps his ability to form coherent sentences (not like his regular sentences are that long to begin with) and he can feel himself sinking deeper into a hole as rational thoughts become increasingly difficult to grasp. Inhaling deeply, Rukawa can't be bothered to chastise himself for subconsciously relishing in the scent of jasmines: her scent undeniably.

"You're so annoying," he breathes out, hating how his body is acutely aware of the way she shivers from his breath tickling the back of her ear. He hates how she can be so ridiculously unaware of the hell he's suffered at her hand.

"What did I do to annoy you Rukawa-kun?" Haruko sounds genuinely confused and that pisses him off all the more.

She has _no idea_ about how much she's been tormenting him without even being there, she has absolutely no idea about how that stupid book of hers has has give him more wet dreams in the past week than he's had in his whole life beforehand; she has no idea that he can't look at her for more than five seconds without picturing her in his arms breathless with desire.

And he has no idea that he's saying all of this out loud.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. Writing for the RuHaru fandom feels like coming home because some of you were with me since Sleeping Beauty days.**

 **God I love you guys. :)**

 **There'll probably be no more than 2 chapters left for this fic. Don't wanna drag this out when I have a bigger project for you all!**

 **Stay golden!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I just realised I didn't reply the reviews in Chapter 1. I am so sorry about that!**

 **Megingjoro: I replied your account but idk if you saw it. It's good to see your name popping up on my newsfeed XD Hmmm now I might consider making another fic with Rukawa being really awkward around Haruko (OHOHOHOHOHO)**

 **KH: I'm sorry I really derailed out of character with Rukawa from that chapter. Hope it's still a decent read for you though!**

 **And to the multiple Guests, justascurious [I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE HAHA] and NIDMOR: thank you guys for your support though, really. :) I'm sorry for the delayed updates.**

* * *

Rukawa is anxious about many things.

Firstly, three days of confinement to this hospital room is not doing any good. Staring at the same four walls every waking moment is gradually driving him insane. He finds himself involuntarily empathising with Shohoku's ex-MVP: being sentenced to bedrest with women in white coats ogling him makes him desperate to escape ato the comfort of the basketball court too.

His fingers twitch at the thought of holding a ball, longing to grip its rubber surface.

However he's uncertain how comfortable he'd be at Shohoku's gym, not after that awkward encounter with the younger Akagi.

Which brings him to his second cause for concern. After his bleary mind decided to voice out his sexual frustrations to the object of said sexual frustrations, how did she react? She didn't. Instead Haruko simply crumpled into a unmoving heap on the floor. Rukawa would've been relieved had he not realised he'd have to move her onto one of the cots.

That was how Ayako found them a few minutes later. When she walked in to announce Shohoku's narrow victory, he's pretty certain the last thing she anticipated was a half-conscious Rukawa pathetically dragging an even less alive Haruko towards the bed. He vaguely recalled her muttering something about "reckless freshmen" under her breath as she helped him move the girl and checked his condition. Next thing he knew, he'd become prisoner to this torture chamber of a hospital and left completely hanging by the younger Akagi.

However, the main cause of his turmoil is not the lack of action in this hospital, the leering nurses, nor the lack of closure for his predicament. No. The primary problem is that his wayward thoughts are no different now to three days ago.

He believed coming clean about his perverse thoughts would stop them altogether.

Boy was he wrong.

Images of her caged against him at the door to the infirmary — looking at him pleadingly as beads of sweat roll down her face — waft through his head whenever his mind isn't occupied by basketball, slowly consuming his thoughts.

Prior to his concussion Rukawa could engage in other activities to get his mind off of her. Haruko hadn't frequented his thoughts back then because he was busy; it was only in his moments of relaxation that she'd creep in. Now with orders to stay in bed and refrain from physical activity, keeping her out of his mind is proving to be a more difficult task than he imagined.

If an idle mind is the devil's workshop, satan's main office must be in his head.

* * *

"Look who's back." A bush of brown curls obscure his vision the moment Rukawa sets foot in the gym. Sometimes he forgets how light on his feet his captain is.

As if on cue all the players stop their activities, turning to the entrance. The barest hint of a pause is held before they chorus enthusiastically, "Welcome back!"

Rukawa mutters a barely audible "thanks" as he heads to the benches, marking himself present on Ayako's register.

"Oi Rukawa," As he ties his laces Mitsui approaches him with a sober expression. "You sure you're fit to play? That was a pretty nasty fall."

A hand appears on his shoulder. "Relax Mitsui-san," Ryota nods in approval to Rukawa. "I'm sure he rested properly until the doctor discharged him. After all Rukawa isn't as irresponsible as you were."

"Nani?! Don't put us in the same loop. He likes to sleep all the time!"

* * *

After a thoroughly exhausting training session Rukawa stands alone in the shower room. As he wrings his drenched jersey — observing with satisfaction the waterfall of sweat cascading into the sink — two annoyingly familiar voices drift into the room.

"He's lying. There's no way he hasn't been practicing. It's like he's never left!" He scowls at the recognisable husky baritone.

"Mitsui-san," two sets of footsteps enter. "we checked with the doctors when he got discharged yesterday. He never left!"

Ryota and Mitsui appear on either side of him with their shirts in their hands. After exchanging stiff nods of acknowledgement they casually continue their conversation as though they aren't discussing the boy currently sandwiched between them.

"It's a head injury!" Mitsui has the gall to thump the freshman's head for good measure, causing the latter to wince. "Shouldn't that have screwed with his skills just a little bit?"

"You're forgetting that the kitsune has no brain to screw up Mitchi," Sakuragi's voice thunders across the walls of the room as he takes Rukawa's place at the sink. "That's why he's fine!"

"Like you're one to talk Hanamichi."

Deciding there's too much stupidity in this room for him to handle in his post-concussed state, Rukawa ignores the troublemakers and trudges to the exit. Their pointless bickering is taking a heavier toll on his head than the training and in terms of foolishness, his teammates are only slightly better than yesterday's lovesick nurses. Now that he finally has the freedom to move around, the first thing he wants to do is get away from all this stupidity.

Too bad it seems to be following him everywhere he goes.

"Rukawa."

He ignores Mitsui for as long as he can, speed-walking to the locker room. Although he doesn't know what the ex-gangster wants, only a fool wouldn't recognise the mischief in the older boy's tone.

Just as they enter the locker room Mitsui stands in front of him, barring his path to his sports bag.

"What."

Not bothering to hide his amusement Mitsui tilts his head, eyeing the freshman with a knowing look. If Rukawa was an expressive person, he would have swallowed in fear. Since he isn't he simply watches the senior, his features impassive.

"Since you're fresh out of the hospital, there's no need to train that hard." Mitsui folds his arms, the side of his mouth lifting into a half-smirk. "Unless you were doing it for someone."

"I don't know what you're talking about." And honestly, he doesn't. This guy is making as much sense as a fish trying to fly.

A bark of laughter leaves Mitsui's lips. "There's no need to pretend, you sly dog!" He walks up to Rukawa, playfully nudging him in the ribs with his elbow. "You're trying to impress the little Akagi aren't you?"

Mitsui — with his trademark grin in place — awaits the myriad of expressions he knows will paint themselves on his usually emotionless teammate. Rukawa isn't gay, just too emotionally constipated to converse with girls. Thus when he finds one particularly attractive there's no way he'd talk to her of his own accord.

After all, what do emotionally constipated boys do when they're crushing on a girl? They ignore the shit out of her and hope nobody notices.

Unfortunately for Rukawa, Mitsui has the observatory skills of a hawk.

Don't get him wrong: the ex-MVP isn't the kind of boy who'd tease others about matters involving the heart. But with this seemingly-perfect scumbag he can't resist. Besides, someone has to keep Rukawa's arrogance in check and this might be the best way to do it.

Rukawa picks up his bag — his face unreadable — and heads back to the door, pausing by the sharpshooter.

"Only a jobless idiot would pry into other people's business and make something out of nothing."

He walks out of the room, leaving its remaining occupant stunned into silence.

"That's the longest sentence he's ever said."

* * *

"Mark your players!"

Practice the following day goes off without a hitch. Thanks to Rukawa's return the teams are more equally divided when playing full-court games with Sakuragi and Mitsui on one team and Ryota and him in the other.

"Defense! Raise your hands higher!" Ayako yells from the sideline.

Shohoku's ace sighs at the disgustingly lovestruck look on the point guard's features. Besotted by the team manager, Ryota shifts his gaze to Ayako as he dribbles up to the three point line, barely glancing at the opponent rushing in for a steal.

"Got it!"

Rukawa smirks. How naive. Simply because their captain's eyes aren't on the court doesn't mean his focus isn't. To accentuate his point Rukawa charges towards the basket, looking at his seemingly distracted teammate just in time to see a ball sailing through the air right at him. With a grunt Rukawa leaps off of the balls of his feet, catching it mid-air and narrowly avoiding Sakuragi's fly swatter as he thrusts it into the hoop.

Landing in a dignified manner, he strolls up to the sophomore and slaps his hand in a perfectly executed high-five, the echoing smack of their contact a nonverbal taunt to their opponents for underestimating them.

Without further ado they jog back to defend, knowing the other team is all too eager to return the favour tenfold.

Rukawa guards Mitsui, watching his every move like a predator stalking its prey. The ball is most likely going to be passed to their two strongest players: Mitsui and — as much as he hates to admit it — Sakuragi. With Ryota guarding Yasuda in such a way that erases the possibility of passing in the redhead's direction, Rukawa only needs to mark the three-pointer.

"Hey man," Mitsui mutters under his breath, so quietly that Rukawa wouldn't have heard had he not been standing right beside him. "There's no need to show off, your girl isn't watching you."

Rukawa opens his mouth to retort when he spies a ball flying towards them from the corner of his eye. Instinctively a hand shoots up to intercept the pass and before Mitsui can curse aloud the ace is making a fast break, sprinting to the basket with the sharpshooter hot on his heels. Just as Mitsui appears in front of him he bounces a pass to his captain to score a layup.

"Don't infect me with your stupidity."

He returns to defend, gaze briefly sweeping over the bench.

* * *

Something is wrong with Haruko.

Since their game with Ryonan roughly a week ago, Haruko's been an even bigger klutz than usual. Not only has she stumbled over nothing for the umpteenth time, she keeps forgetting to bring their manual scoreboard to training. Ayako initially passed it off as nothing serious, until the younger Akagi stumbled into their classroom with her brother's lunch that morning.

For Pete's sake, the third year classrooms are on the other side of the school!

As she observes her assistant team manager flip the numbers on the scoreboard, Ayako can't help noticing her silent refusal to look at Rukawa. The more she thinks about it, the harder she struggles to recall the last time Haruko fangirled over their ace since his return.

"Okay guys. Let's call it a day."

Her mind drifts back to when she found the girl sprawled out on the infirmary's floor and Rukawa in no better shape. Although tempted to jump to the conclusion that Haruko's strange behaviour stemmed from the unknown events in the infirmary, the lack of change in Rukawa's character says otherwise.

"Aya-chan," A familiar presence settles beside her. "You look troubled. Is everything okay?"

Shielding herself from inquisitive black eyes Ayako searches for her assistant, finding her on the other side of the gym engaged in an animated conversation with Sakuragi.

She nods at them. "Haruko's been acting weird lately."

"Really?" Doubt creeps into Ryota's tone, much to her annoyance. "Sure she forgets stuff but Haruko's working hard…"

Ayako looks at him expectantly as he rambles on.

"…Heck, I haven't seen her drooling over Rukawa at all— oh."

She smirks. For a guy who's supposed to be lightning fast, that took him awhile.

"So she hasn't been staring at Rukawa all day." He shrugs, "maybe she's finally gotten over the ice block. Isn't that a good thing?"

Before Ayako can argue — no, it isn't a good thing when it makes her so lost in thought that she ends up on the opposite side of school from where she's meant to be — a third voice interrupts their conversation.

"Little Akagi isn't into Rukawa anymore? Talk about bad timing!"

Mitsui takes a seat beside the teens, chuckling at their puzzled expressions. They don't know? He can't help feeling a little smug at that. During his years of delinquency he was often out of the loop when it came to social matters — never concerning himself with rumours unless it involved fights — hence now he savours the rare moments where he's the one with new knowledge.

He leans towards the pair, smirking when they lean in as well.

"Rukawa's got the hots for her."

"WHAT?!" Simultaneously they stare at the lone player practicing on the court, then at Haruko, then at Rukawa again.

"Stop joking around Mitsui-san."

Mitsui raises a finger. "Watch."

They examine the super rookie closely as he finishes his individual drills. Tossing the ball into the rack he leaves the gym, passing Sakuragi and Haruko. While the redhead spews his usual insults at his rival Haruko doesn't even spare a glance in the ace's direction.

Unimpressed, Ayako turns to the boys, failing to see what was special about that barely existent interaction. On the other hand Ryota looks as smug as a poker player with a royal flush, the man beside him donning a similar reaction.

"What did I miss?" She raises a brow, "He didn't even look at her."

Their grins widen.

"What am I missing?"

When the shit-eating grins fail to desist from their faces she fights the urge to smack them senseless with her fan. Respecting elders be damned.

"Guys…"

"I believe Mitsui-kun and Miyagi-kun are referring to Rukawa-kun's clenched jaw and the tightened muscles in his forearm when he passed by Haruko-san." An older voice explains, a large presence hovering behind the trio.

"Anzai-sensei!"

While the younger two are rooted to their seats in shock, Mitsui springs off the bench as though it burnt his rear and bows to their coach, stammering an awkward apology.

"There's nothing to apologise for Mitsui-kun." Anzai's moustache moves — the sole indicator of him speaking. "It's nice to see you taking an interest in your teammate's personal life."

"Ahh w-well…" Ayako looks to the other two only to find them mirroring her mortified expression. In contrast, their coach appears unfazed by his students' obvious discomfort.

"Sensei!" Ayako and Mitsui send a grateful look to their captain. "Does it bother you that Rukawa could be interested in Haruko?"

The older man raises his brows, fixing his glasses. "On the contrary Miyagi-kun, I'm relieved."

At their bemused stares he elaborates. "Rukawa-kun is no doubt a fine player. Yet sometimes I worry that basketball might end up consuming his life."

Sweat-drops form on their temples. It's a bit too late for that.

"Aren't you worried that he might get distracted sensei?" Mitsui asks summoning as much politeness as he can muster.

"I think Haruko-san is too devoted to the team to let herself be a distraction. Besides, Rukawa-kun is too focused for that to happen. For him basketball would be a distraction from everything else."

Anzai pauses, letting his words sink in.

"When it comes to basketball, Rukawa-kun has a lot of talent and a lot of ambition." Behind his spectacles his eyes cloud over, a quiet pain stirring in his chest as memories of failed dreams — buried as deep as the person they are associated with — resurface. "He should follow his dreams without sacrificing the chances to live a full life."

"So sensei…what should we do?"

"Nothing." He smiles saying no more as he turns to leave.

"Get home safe, you three." With a small wave he departs from the gym, nodding politely at the figure hovering behind the exit.

"You too, Rukawa-kun."

* * *

Days blur into weeks and Rukawa is burdened by restlessness.

Ever since unintentionally overhearing his senpais he's sensed a tension in the air. It isn't palpable nor thick enough to cut with a knife; it's a quiet unease — one that inconspicuously pervades the atmosphere. It isn't noticeable enough to disrupt his game but makes its presence known in the shared glances between his captain and senior team manager, festering itself in the way their sharpshooter would watch both him the younger Akagi with a cheeky grin on his face as the latter continues to avert her gaze from him.

Not for the first time since this entire ordeal began, Rukawa curses his own observational skills.

As was Anzai's suggestion, nobody confronted him about his personal matters. While Rukawa feels a need to resent the man, he can't find a legitimate reason to. Why should he be angry at his coach? Because he talked about him behind his back?

Or is it because everything he said about him is true?

If anything he should be grateful that Anzai advised them against interfering. It saves him the trouble of having awkward conversations with any of them had they pondered talking to him about it. Yet a part of him wishes they would, just so they can cut to the chase instead of building unnecessary suspense by lying in wait.

The worst part of it all is that he doesn't know what they're waiting for.

"Class dismissed."

He merges with the throng of students squeezing out of the door into the hallway, ambling along the densely-packed corridor. Being a head taller than everyone else always worked well for him in these situations: not only do people automatically move out of his way, they are also too short to obscure his vision, making it all the more easy to find his locker among the after-school crowd.

Scanning the endless rows of lockers for his number, a mop of brown hair catches his eye. Upon realising who the owner of those chestnut tresses is, Rukawa stifles the urge to rage at the world. Of course he'd be reminded of her during one of the treasured moments where she isn't plaguing his thoughts.

Their eyes meet for the first time since his concussion (or at least, the first time he remembers). He stares at her, fixedly observing her reaction to their unanticipated eye-contact. Widened cerulean holds his stare, deviating to trail down the length of his body before snapping back to his gaze. Rukawa doesn't miss the red flush warming her cheeks as she hightails it in the opposite direction, no doubt to the gym.

He contemplates resuming the search for his locker and then thinks better of it, heading to the gym himself.

* * *

Haruko is bent over a cabinet, rummaging through the numerous equipment in the drawer when she hears footsteps by the door. She smiles to herself victoriously: this time she _won't_ forget to bring the scoreboard.

"Ayako-san, guess what I remembered!" her hands brush against a familiar rectangular box, gripping its edges. Yanking it out from under various objects, Haruko turns around to wave the manual scoreboard in the older girl's face when she realises that the towering, muscular figure by the door is definitely not Ayako.

"Rukawa-kun?"

His eyes are glued to hers, not once breaking contact as Rukawa takes a step into the equipment room, shutting the door behind him. Heartbeat pulsing erratically in her head, fingers twitching uncontrollably, only one thing crosses Haruko's mind: she needs to escape.

Concentration wandering to the closed door behind her captor, she instantly deduces that if she sprints for the exit _,_ she can use the distance between them to gain enough momentum to squeeze past Rukawa and reach the door. All she needs to do is start running, _right now_.

Unfortunately, Rukawa comes to the same conclusion.

Striding towards her, as the distance between them dwindles so does Haruko's hope of escape. _So much for a running start._ Instead of sprinting forward as planned, her body instinctively backs away from the advancing figure, retreating right up until her lower back comes in contact with the cabinet she was rummaging through earlier. With nowhere to run, the younger Akagi watches helplessly as Shohoku's ace corners her, caging her in as he places his hands on the small shelf on either side of her.

"You're avoiding me."

When she refuses to look at him Rukawa lowers his face until their foreheads are almost touching, the proximity forcing their eyes to meet. A musty fragrance overwhelms her senses, igniting the uncomfortable feelings that made her avoid him in the first place.

"Why."

His breath dances across her lips when he asks — or rather _demands_ — for her explanation. Crimson stains her cheeks as Haruko struggles to contain the palpitations wrecking her body, unknowingly nibbling her lower lip raw to rid herself of the dirty images flickering through her sinful mind. _He's too close._

"A-after you talked to me that d-day," she stutters, knowing she doesn't need to specify any further what day she's referring to. Haruko takes a deep breath, drawing courage from the fact that he spoke of his attraction first, albeit it being weeks ago and in a semiconscious state.

"Every time I look at you I can't stop thinking about you in _that_ way _._ " By the end of her sentence she's completely breathless, fighting a losing battle against her own hormones.

Silence reigns, stretching the moment into what seems like an eternity of the most awkwardly sexual tension ever known to mankind. Rukawa's gaze is unreadable, his arms on either side of her unmoving. His reaction to her confession is so obscure that Haruko can't help but doubt everything that's been transpiring between them up until now. Did she imagine the entire incident at the infirmary? Has she been reading too much into the stares he gives her in the hallways and in the breaks from basketball training?

There's one thing she's certain of: if he doesn't stop staring at her she's going to—

"What way?"

The smooth baritone of his voice sends chills down her spine and it takes all of her willpower to not faint right then and there. Haruko almost loses herself to the warmth radiated by the boy in front of her until she registers his question.

 _Did he just…_

Before she can contain herself, her knees buckle under the enormous weight of his words. Instinctively her hands reach up to grasp his broad shoulders in a desperate attempt to steady herself. Having noticed the unnecessary contact she's initiated, Haruko head immediately shoots up to stutter an apology when her lips brush against something soft.

Something that feels a lot like another pair of lips.

Haruko pulls away with a knee-jerk reaction speed, hastily stammering as many apologies in one breath that she is capable of when Rukawa interrupts.

"Again."

Her first thought is that she's dreaming. This can't be real. _Of course_ it can't. Sure Rukawa admitted to having less than pure thoughts about her, but that was roughly ten minutes after his head was smashed into the ground. People say the craziest things when they have concussions.

So there's not a snowball's chance in hell that he'd even hint at being attracted to her now that he's fully functioning and up to speed.

If that's the case, however, then why is he staring at her mouth so intently?

His gaze meets hers, expecting. _Here goes nothing._ Mustering the remaining courage she isn't aware she still had, Haruko leans on the tips of her toes and gently, _hesitantly_ presses her lips against his, eyes fluttering shut upon contact.

Hands tighten on his shoulders as she moves her lips against his awkwardly. Her first kiss with the boy of her dreams really isn't turning out to be as spectacular as the books have made it out to be. Disappointment swells in her being when he doesn't respond, lips as still and unfeeling as the boy they belong to. Her nose tingles, a telling sign of an imminent crying session. _Guess she imagined everything after all._

Dejected, she moves to break the kiss when two muscular arms wrap around her waist. Next thing she knows her body is pulled flush against Rukawa's chiselled frame and her mouth is being coaxed into opening. From being as still as a statue moments before, it's like a light-switch went on in his head.

Or like a beast has been unleashed.

He grinds into her; the force of his pelvic thrust shoving her against the cabinet. A whimper escapes her lips at the painful contact to her tailbone and Rukawa is quick to lift her onto the cupboard's surface, settling himself between her trembling legs. Large hands roam across her back, one cupping the back of her head while the other settles on the hem of her blouse dangerously close to the skin of her back. Despite her lust-hazed state, she could hear warning bells ringing in her head.

When Haruko parts her lips to caution him against pursuing this, a tongue wedges its way into her mouth, effectively silencing her protests. The hand in her hair tilts her head upwards, his tongue taking full advantage of the new angle to explore her untrodden cavern. Rukawa's other hand dives beneath her shirt, calloused fingertips raking across the naked flesh of her lower back. She sits there as he ravages her, unsure of how to respond to the invading muscle in her mouth. Her tongue hides from his as he licks across her teeth, hungrily searching for the appendage.

It is only when Rukawa releases a frustrated huff does Haruko react, shyly rubbing her tongue against his. The delicious friction entices a moan out of both of them, prompting a sensual clash of teeth, tongue and—

"MY EYES! MY EYES!"

They freeze. Eyes snapping wide open, it takes them less than a second to discover that the outcry wasn't made by either of them (although how could it be possible with their tongues down each other's throats).

Rukawa is the first to react. Tearing his mouth away from the younger Akagi's he turns his head to have a look at their intruder, glowering at the person by the door. Too mortified to sneak a peak at the newcomer Haruko buries her face into Rukawa's chest, her head swelling with ominous thoughts of her reputation plummeting down the drain and how her brother is going to _kill her_ —

"Finally snagged the little Akagi ey? It's about time Rukawa!"

And then she realises just who she's been wrestling tongues with for the last few minutes.

"Hey what happened? Little Akagi doesn't look so good."

"She passed out. _Again_."

* * *

Life is much smoother after that fiasco.

Mitsui ended up blabbing to his fellow gossipers — Ryota and Ayako — and the three of them have made it a point to remind Rukawa of his deeds in every training session. Be it in the form of unsubtle teasing, suspicious stares, or just laughing when they think nobody's looking (Anzai-sensei's habit more than any of the others), Rukawa can't find it in himself to care. Thankfully, nobody has filled the redhead in on this strange turn of events.

Haruko stopped avoiding him, although not right away. At first she was even clumsier in his presence, turning beet red and murmuring incoherently whenever he was near. After a few confrontations — where he demanded she "Stop being so annoying" — the younger Akagi eventually regained her normal attitude around him, acknowledging him with a small smile whenever their eyes met. In fact, she's started reading at the rooftop during lunchtimes again, only this time the books she reads are not half as erotic.

As for Rukawa, well things haven't changed much. Basketball training is as rigorous as usual and his napping schedule is as extensive as always. Tuesdays and Thursdays are marked by the younger Akagi's company during lunchtimes, and while he still glowers at her whenever she appears on the roof they both know it's not genuine.

Granted, there are moments where he dreams about Haruko and the unmentionable things they'd do together, and he has caught her gaze wandering across his body on numerous occasions.

But he'll pursue that in his own time, without pressure from his teammates or a dirty book.

.

.

.

 _Curiosity killed the fox, but satisfaction brought it back._

* * *

 **Some of you sweethearts must be disappointed by the lack of real sexy-time in this chapter. Not only did I do this because I don't want to butcher Rukawa and Haruko's personalities even further, but also because something about 15 year olds screwing in school doesn't appeal to me (not that I don't know of people who have done that hohoho).**

 **I hope this ending didn't put you guys off too much.**

 **Stay golden!**


End file.
